Settle Down
by A.K.A. Producer Sam
Summary: When Elena Gilbert, a 19 year old aspiring photographer/graphic designer moves to L.A. after the death of her brother. She meets Damon Salvatore, a twenty year old sexy nerd who lives across the hall. She is shocked to learn that he has a young daughter. Will a girl who loves adventure be able to settle down? AU.


**AU. No Beta so forgive the errors. Don't own Vampire Diaires. **

**This'll probably be a lot lighter than some of my stories. I hope you'll enjoy it. Been working on it for awhile now. **

**Chapter 1**

**Clutching **her brother's picture, Elena sighed and placed the photo on the wall. Today was supposed to be a fresh start for her. Her tragic past had been put behind her. Although it was hard, she did it. She made it. Besides Jeremy wouldn't have wanted her to be sad.

In California-She wouldn't be the sad little girl who'd lost her brother. She was just Elena Gilbert, traveling photographer/graphic designer. In California she was the girl who loved music and adventure. In California, she was alone.

As a girl who loved adventure, new oppertunities for some reason leaving her quiet little town of Mystic Falls scared her.

Mystic Falls was predictable. A quiet little town who thrived on the smallest gossip, they would go to football games for entertainment. Everyone went to the fairs just to hang out with their friends and watch the fireworks. Everyone knew everyone. Everyone knew her.

Here. She was just a sad lonely small little girl.

Elena heard a nock. She looked shocked and surprised. Maybe it was a neighbor welcoming her. She hadn't gotten a visit from one of those nosy neighbors yet, to see what she looked like what she acted liked and if they would like her or not.

Opening the door she was even more surprised when she saw a pair of familiar sunglasses and blond curls through the peephole. She smiled. It was her business partner and high school best friend, Caroline Forbes. Along with being a traveling photographer, Elena is also a wedding photographer, Caroline ran a small wedding boutique while she took the pictures.

She had never planned on being a wedding photographer. But it allowed her to expand her profolio a little bit, and also allow her to gain new clients.

"Oh my God!" She couldn't help but screech like those annoying teen girls who see one of their friends in public. But seeing Caroline had been a big mood changer for her. Caroline had

been their for her during her brother's death. The only one who had been it seemed like.

The reason she liked Caroline was her blunt honesty. When she was upset, Caroline always seemed to tell the truth. While other's danced around her emotions. Instead of people always asking how she was, waiting for her to snap.

Caroline always allowed her to cry on her shoulder when she needed it. She always brought her some kind of sappy romance movie to make her feel better. She didn't dance around the obvious elephant in the room, she didn't get quiet or eye her, like other's had done. She was always the one who Elena had turned to.

Caroline cried when she told her that she was moving to California.

_"Caroline? I'd thought you'd be happy for me." Elena asked her sobbing friend._

_"Who's going to be my main bitch now? Tyler? He can't even go a dinner without checking his phone for texts."_

"What are you doing here?" Elena asked studying her friend up and down. To make sure it was her.

"Uh Duh. I came to visit my main bitch."

She wished Caroline didn't call her that. It just sounded degrating and offensive to woman. But right now she didn't care. She was just glad to see her best friend.

She looked around the newly semi-decorated apartment and frowned. "You where supposed to call me when you got unpacked."

"Care." She chuckled a little. "I just finished unpacking like two mintues before you got here." Elena said with a smile. "It's not like you gave me enough time to call."

Caroline placed her hands on her hips and pursed her lips together. Elena knew she was in for it now. That was her signature move for scolded anyone.

"How was I supposed to know you where going to unpack right away? I'd thought you lie around and mope for days before you would unpack, that's one reason why I came down here. Is to help you decorate, because I know you would half ass it." Said Caroline's blunt honesty. Caroline looks over Elena's shoulder and adds.

"It turned out better than I thought would. My years of teaching must've kicked in that stubborn little brain you have and said 'oh my god I can do this by myself without calling my best friend for help on deciding what color schemes to use. Because I'm a graphic designer that's what I'm supposed to know to make things pretty'" She ranted in one big breath, before stopping. Elena frowned.

She knew years of Caroline's ranting on how to decorate a perfect room didn't help Elena.

All Elena wanted was to have a small place to herself that described her artsy free spirit. With many of her own art on the wall, designs for independant movie posters, independant bands and some of her own pictures she took and blew up into canvas work or picture frames and some art she bought around the world any where from Japan to Tahiti.

Her walls where painted her favorite color green. Green not only was her favorite color, but the way to describe her warm personality.

A round chair hung from the celieng. And exoctic plants she brought home from around the world, where placed around the corners. A harp was near the window, an african drum was near by the harp.

Needless to say she was proud of calling this a place of her own. It made her feel like for the first time since her brother's death, she able to express herself with no judgement what-so-ever.

"Yoo-hoo. Elena You there." Caroline sing-songed, waving her hand in front of her friend's face. Elena blinked to see Caroline looking at her, with a stranged look in her eye. Inches away from her face. She shook her head back in shock. Caroline pointed a little. "You zoned out on me there for a moment? Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah." Elena said. "I'm fine. Sorry" She laughed and apologized

"So." Also like her usual Caroline. She walks past Elena and lies down on her couch. Caroline had a habbit about making herself at home. "Have you met any of the neighbors yet."

"No." Elena said. "I've only lived hear for two seconds."

Caroline frowned. "Elena. You can't just hybernate in you're apartment now, like you did back home, you need to get out and enjoy L.A."

She wanted to yell at Caroline. To say that she just moved in, she hadn't gotten a chance to explore yet. But Caroline was just being Caroline. She was glad to have a friend who cared so much about her. She had just wished Caroline had given her some time: a litte heads up before she came all this way to California.

"Since you haven't explored the city yet, let's go find Channing Tatum together and see if he'd have sex with me." Caroline bounced.

"Caroline. He's married and you're dating Tyler." Elena said

Caroline shrugged. "That doesn't mean anything besides one night in bed with me and he'll change his mind."

Elena smiled and shook her head as they walked out the door.

**...**

**Caroline** and Elena found a little sushi place nearby Elena's apartment. "How awesome is this." Caroline said when they sat down "You get to live near a sushi place."

"That's why I chose the apartment." Elena joked. "So. You said helping me decorate my apartment was one of the reason's you came to L.A. to see me, is there something else you couldn't wait to tell me that wasn't over the phone? Are you pregnant?"

"God no." Caroline said holding her hand up her face red. "But. Tyler and I are moving in together," She smiled.

Elena smiled. "I'm confused. Just a few minutes ago you wanted to jump Channing Tatum."

"Please. Who doesn't want to jump Channing Tatum." Caroline smirked. "But no, I'm happy with Tyler. I'm ready to settle down." Elena smiled.

Caroline had always been different than Elena when it came to love. Elena had always believed in true love, while Caroline had one night stands and moved on from one boyfriend to the next every week. Elena had been in a serious relationship with her childhood best friend Matt all throughout high school, until her brother died.

After new boy Tyler Lockwood moved to Mystic Falls, Caroline tried dating him but he didn't see any interest in her, making her want him more. It took months before Tyler showed any interest in her. Once they won Snowcoming Court, that's when he decided to give it a try been dating ever since. So it was nice to finally see Caroline settling down.

Thinking about Matt, made Elena missed him. "I'm happy for you Caroline." She said. She truly was. But she couldn't get Matt out of her mind. Sitting up straighter she cleared her throat and asked. "How's Matt doing?"

Caroline looked at her with suspicion but answered anyways "Still working at the Mystic Grille."

"Really," Elena said. "He hasn't gone to college."

"Elena. Matt's by himself, he can't afford college you know that" Caroline said. "He isn't lucky like us." Caroline bit her lip. "Sorry." She apologized. "But. Matt's good, he's dating Rebekah now."

"Ugh. I hated her." Elena said shaking her head. Rebekah and Elena had been part of the same group, they both tried one-uping each other a lot but Elena always came out on top.

"She's actually really nice." Caroline said. "She's slowed down a bit since dating Matt." She explained. "They're really sweet together. Here" Caroline said. Caroline pulled out her phone and showed her a picture of Matt and Rebekah, with Matt's arms lovingly wrapped around her. Rebekah holding his arms. Elena cracked a small smile.

She had mixed feelings about that picture. But she knew she definitly had no right to be angry at Matt for moving on, she was moving on too. Or at least trying too. She was also the one who ended the relationship "If you see Matt." Elena said with a small smile. "Tell him I said hi."

"Sure. Will. He asks about you all the time." Caroline said

"Really?" Elena asked sitting up straighter. "What does he ask about."

It had only been a two weeks since Elena moved to Los Angelos. She had spent most of the time unpacking and decorating her apartment. She didn't think anyone would miss her that much already. Well, besides Caroline.

"Just mostly about how you're doing." Caroline said. "He just wants to know if you're okay...Jeremy's death had been hard on you the most."

Jeremy death had been hard on her the most. Because not only he was her older brother, but he had taken care of her most of her life. People really should've blamed her for his death but they didn't.

She felt Caroline put a hand on her wrist and give a squeeze. Elena blinked back the fresh tears. "I'm sorry.I brought him up."

Elena squinted her eyes. "No. It's okay. How are my parents doing?" She asked trying to change the subject.

Her parents had been a little hesistant when she told them that she needed to leave Mystic Falls. Convincing them that it was for her own good. They had been having problems since Jer's death and danced around her like no end to tomorrow. She just hoped leaving would help sort their issues out.

Caroline winced. She could tell Caroline was holding back something. Something she probably feared the most. "Caroline. Tell me." She begged. "Please."

Caroline exhaled. "They got divorced, Elena." She told her. Elena store at her best friend. She blinked.

"No." She said. "You're lying."

"I'm not. Miranda filed for divorce last month."

She looked up in realization. "That was after I was approved for the apartment." She buried her head into her hands. "God. I knew they where having problems...I just didn't know."

"Elena." Her friend said leaning over the table, squeezing her hand. "They wanted me to tell you that it wasn't you're fault...None of it was."

"It might as well have been." Elena shot. "Why didn't you tell me this before?" She asked

"I didn't think it was important."

Elena stood up and grabbed her purse. She had had enough for one day. "Oh you think moving with in with Tyler is more important than my parents getting a divorce?" She asked through threatening tears.

"I wanted to tell you happy news first rather than bad news." Caroline said. Elena stormed off back towards her apartment building. She was angry. Really angry.

Walking back to her apartment, she sits down on the bench near the doors. Her legs couldn't carry her anymore. She wanted to call her mom and see how she was doing. Dialing her number. Her mom answered. "Elena?" She asked.

She clicked off, freaking out since it had been awhile since she talked to her mother. She started sobbing.

**Line Break**

**That was **the worse paintball game, Damon had ever played. Limping back to his apartment, covered head to toe in blue and red paintballs pellets. He sees a girl crying on the bench.

He wasn't sure what to do. Damon had never had to deal with crying women before. Except his daughter. So he jingles his keys out in front of her. She glared at him with he swore flames in her eyes.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS A MATTER WITH YOU!" She growls.

Oh Shit. Damon thought. He fucked up now.

"I'm sorry." He panicked "I'm just not used to comforting woman that well. Gonna tell me what's wrong?"

Elena looked up to the weird man. He was wearing a paintball uniform. But his face was rather attractive. Bright blue eyes, those thin stylist black glasses, dark hair. "You know when a man sits down on the bench to comfort a woman it is customery for the woman to tell the man what is wrong."

"Seriously. What the hell is a matter with you?" Elena asked between chuckling laughter and gasping tears.

"In case you haven't caught on by now. I suck at comforting woman."

She wiped her eyes. "Has anyone ever told you that you're an ass?" Elena asked.

"All the time" Damon said he nudged his head into her stomach a little. She giggled. "But. I always know how to get what I want." He teased. "So. Are you going to tell me what's wrong."

"It just seems like lately. No matter how I try. I can never be happy." She says

Damon frowned. Great. He was terrible at giving advice. "What makes you think that?" Damon asked.

"My older brother died last year. He was my best friend and I really looked up to him." Elena explained. "Ever since then it seems like my life can't get any worse."

"Again? What makes you think that?" Damon asked

"You really are an ass." She told him through sniffles. "I just found out my parents divorced."

"So. You are blaming yourself for their divorce?" Damon asked confused.

"Why not? It was my fault for Jeremy's death. That's why I moved out here to hopefully allow them to figure things out. To talk. To grieve, without them worrying about me."

"Elena. That's not your fault." Damon said putting an arm around her shoulder. "You shouldn't blame yourself for your parents divorce. Loosing a child isn't easy."

"How come they didn't tell me before I moved out here? I would've stayed and helped my mom and dad through it."

"That's why they didn't tell you about it." Damon said. "They knew you've been through enough, maybe they knew you would stay and try to fix them. When really there's nothing you could've done to stop it"

"I deserved to know though. It wasn't fair to me to find out through my best friend-after she tells me that she's moving in with her boyfriend no less."

"Well. It seems to me that your madder at your friend than your parents."

"Your an ass." she said standing up and storming off.

"I'd take that as a yes."

**...**

**Damon **sat at his chair and clicked onto his X-Box to play Call of Duty before his daughter got here. "What took you so long to get here?" His room mate Alaric asked

"Sorry." He apologized the doorbell rang.

"That can only be one person." Damon said

"I'm out." Alaric said putting his remote control. He hated Damon's ex with a passion and was in no mood to deal with her bitchiness today.

"She's not that bad." Damon defended "You should see her with Riley."

Riley Salvatore was Damon's two year old daughter. At 20. Damon never expected to be a father but after graduation his high school girlfriend surprised him with her.

Alaric grabbed a beer from the fridge and twisted open the cap. "The fact that you have to say she's not that bad. Means that she's that bad." Ric says taking a drink. "She bitches at you twenty four seven. Trust me, If it wasn't for Riley you wouldn't even talk to her." That was true. "So bye." Ric says heading into his room.

Damon took a deep breath and open the door. "Hey." He said in a cheery voice.

"Daddy." Riley said running towards Damon. He picked her up.

"Hey. Muchkin." He said. "Katherine." He says.

"Damon. Don't tell me you plan on playing video games with Ric the whole weekend your daughter visits."

"Nice to see you too. Kat." He says.

Alaric was right. If it hadn't been for Riley, Damon would never see her again. Katherine yeah she was a good mom...but she was a bitch.

"I will pick her up Sunday at eight. Riley give mommy a kiss goodbye." She says. Riley kisses her. Damon shuts the door.

"Is she gone?" Alaric asked.

"Unkie Ric." Riley said. The little girl squirmed out of Damon's arms and ran into Alaric's. Causing him to almost drop his beer.

"Woah. Sweetie. You almost caused me to drop my beer"

"You're idiot juice." Riley asked

"Is that what your mommy calls it?" Ric asks looking at Riley.

Damon had been friends with Alaric since middle school. Both of them where succesful 'Science Nerds' as Riley and Katherine would call them. They weren't exactly popular back in high school and they spent most of the time playing video games (or working on science projects) on Friday nights instead of going to football games like normal people would.

Which is why both of them where shocked that Katherine. The head cheerleader and varsity volleyball player asked Damon out.

"Yeah. She calls you lots of other things too. But I promised never to repeat them."

"On a scale from one to ten how bad are they." Ric asks.

"9 and a half." Riley said.

"Alright. Good Girl." Alaric said "Wanna play Ninetendo wii with me and daddy?"

"Momma says I'm not awowed to play video games."

Alaric was Riley's godfather. Despite Katherine's protests. Katherine and Alaric never really got along before Damon and her started dating. Alaric still held it against her that she had several guys on the football team beat him up and throw him in trashcans (or lockers). But he cared about the little girl just as much as Damon did.

"What mommy doesn't know. Doesn't hurt her." Alaric said.

"Can we play bowwing?" At two Riley still had difficulties pronouncing some of her letters. Mostly L's, sometimes R's and S's. She was actually very bright for her age.

"Yeah." Damon said lifting her up in his arms. "Let's see if we can beat Unkie Ric again."

The doorbell rang. Damon answered it. Shit, he forgot he was going to have a guys night because Enzo and his brother Stefan stood in the door way. "We brought beer and pizza. Get rock band out."

"Uncle Stefan." Riley said running to hug his legs.

Enzo and Alaric weren't Riley's bioligcal Uncle's. She just knew that they where her daddy's best friends and that her mommy hated them. Riley called them "Unkie". While Stefan was her bioligical Uncle. So, Riley called him Uncle.

"Hey. Kiddo." Stefan said shocked. "I thought you weren't going to have her this weekend."

"Well." Damon said taking the 12 pack of beer and pizza from Stefan so he could hug his niece. "Katherine thought she deserved a spa treatment with her gal pals."

"Gal Pals?" Enzo asked. "Really?"

Damon shrugs. "Whatever allows me to spend time with my baby girl." Since Damon and Katherine weren't together anymore. Damon only got to see Riley every other weekends, since she spent a lot of time at either Katherine's parents or Damon's parents houses as well. "I'm fine with it. If Katherine wants to go to Mexico for the week during Spring Break. Go ahead."

"Save us a hell-u-va lot of trouble." Enzo said taking a drink.

Alaric snorted. "Yeah. Tell me about it."

"Can we pway bowwing? Huh? Uncle Stefan. Rock Band's stupid."

"Listen to me little one." Stefan said "Rock band is not stupid. You're just mad because you can't reach any of the instruments yet."

Riley folded her arms. "Is that a short joke. Uncle Stefan?"

"Look at her. Sounding just like Katherine already. I feel bad for the poor sucker who is going to end up with her in high school." Ric said taking another drink.

"Ric." Damon scolded.

"Don't worry. In about fourteen years you can play rock band. If you're tall enough." He jokes.

"Haha." Riley said.

"Alright. Sweetie." Damon said. "You can only play for an hour. Then it's off to bed."

"But. I just got here." She said

"I promise we will have a daddy daughter day tomorrow. But your mommy would kill me if I let you stay up past bed time."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine."

"Starting to act like her too."

**Line Break**

Later when Riley was in bed. The guys continued their guys night playing Call of Duty. "So. I had a really weird encounter with a girl today." Damon said.

"Weird how weird? You talking to a girl other than Riley is weird" Enzo commented.

"Katherine's a girl."

"Not exactly." Stefan replied. "Why are you defending her. Last time I checked she isn't exactly nice to you."

"Because she's the mother of my child." Damon said

"So. What made this weird."

"She was crying on the bench outside the apartment building."

"So. She was already crying before you met her?" Enzo snorted. "You're right that is weird."

Damon slapped him on his chest. "Well. Did she say why she was crying?" Stefan asked.

"She was having a rough day." Damon said. "Brother died. Just found out her parents got divorced from her best friend."

"That sucks." Alaric said.

"Tell me about it." Damon said.

"Let me guess you made it worse?" Stefan asked his brother.

"Yep." He popped

Stefan shakes his head at Damon. He had always had bad relationships with woman, although he hated to admit it Katherine was his one good relationship. After they had Riley they decided to try the family thing but it didn't work. So they split.

"Is she cute?" Enzo asks.

"Very."

"I don't know. Damon" Ric says. "You might want to watch yourself with this one. She seems damaged."

"She was just having a bad day. I've seen you throw temper tantrums over me leaving the toilet seat up."

" . Yeah." Alaric grumbles.

Enzo looks up and shakes his head. "Wait. So you pee sitting down?"

Alaric's face turns red. "No."

Stefan and Enzo look at his blushing face. Enzo smiles. "Oh my God. He totally does."

"Whatever. Mine's still bigger than yours." Alaric says to the both of them.

"How do you know." Damon asked

"Game over." Damon hears the person say. He watches his guy collaspe. He looks, mouth hung open. Alaric starts to dance.

"Raining champ. You owe me fifty bucks."

"Alright. See ya guys." Damon says to Enzo and Stefan as they leave. Damon sees the brunette from earlier struggling to open her door. She drops the groceries and starts sobbing. Damon shifts thinking about his run in with her earlier. "Here let me help you." He says clearing her throat.

Damon picks the groceriers up and hands them to Elena. Awkwardly. "Thanks." She says. Grabbing her keys she hands them to Damon. "You mind opening my door for me?" She asks

"Having a bad day?" Damon asks while he tries to unlock her door.

"You could say that." Elena says. Damon helps Elena with her bags. "Seems like now-a-days my life as been one big bad day."

"I can sing Daniel Powter's Bad Day for you if you want me too?" Damon asks.

Elena laughs. "No. God. No. Thanks though." Elena said. The two stood there awkwardly. "You wanna stay for a drink?" Elena asks.

"Nah. I can't. I have company over." He lies.

Followed by more awkward silence. Damon looks up. "Well. Bye." He says before bolting.

"Bye." Elena says.

The next day. Elena woke up when there was a nock on her door. She thought it was probably Caroline coming to say goodbye to her. Opening the door she saw roses and a chocolate bar. She turned her head. There was a card that was labeled Feel better soon. Opening it. Daniel Powter's bad day started playing. It was one of those micromusic cards.

_Cause you had a bad day. You're taking one down. You sing a sad song just to turn it around. You say you don't know. You tell me don't lie. You work at a smile and you go for a ride. You had a bad day. The camera don't lie. You're coming back down and you really don't mind. You had a bad day._

Written inside was. _Sorry about your bad day, I hope you have a better one today -Damon_

_A.K.A. Sexy nerd across the hallway._

_P.S. I won't sing it but he will._

Elena smiled and picked up the dozen roses. She placed them in a vase and opened the card once again.


End file.
